Iram Javed Returns As Pakistan Announce Women's Squad For Bangladesh White-ball Tour

Birmingham Commonwealth Games: Experienced player Iram Javed has staged a comeback to the Pakistan team after being named in the squad for the white-ball tour of Bangladesh. Iram, who debuted in international cricket in 2013, is back in the Pakistan team after a gap of one year, having last played in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.

In the squad to be captained by veteran all-rounder Nida Dar, Shawaal Zulfiqar and Syeda Aroob Shah have been excluded from the squad that played against South Africa last month in the white-ball series in Karachi.

In that series, Pakistan won the T20I leg 3-0 while South Africa bounced back to win the ODI series 2-1. Fast-bowling all-rounder Fatima Sana, who got injured in the second ODI against South Africa, is still in the process of recovering.

“Our selection committee has carefully deliberated over the squad for the Bangladesh tour, aiming to strike the right balance between bat and ball, as we believe this squad is well-equipped to face the challenges in Bangladesh.”

“Young Shawaal Zulfiqar has been omitted from the squad as she requires more grooming before representing again at the international level. The members of the selection committee have recalled experienced Iram Javed in the squad. Iram’s presence will undoubtedly strengthen our batting order in Bangladesh conditions.”

“Fatima Sana is on the road to recovery, and we are committed to giving her the time she needs to be fully prepared for the upcoming away series against New Zealand where the selection committee feels the right-arm fast bowler will be more productive,” said chief selector Saleem Jaffar in a statement.

Both Shawaal and Aroob are part of the 28 probables of the Pakistan women's emerging team taking part in the training camp in Muridke. The emerging team will play a bilateral series and a triangular tournament involving West Indies and Thailand's emerging cricket teams later this month.

Pakistan will depart for Bangladesh on October 20 to feature in a six-match white-ball series which also includes three ODIs, part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25. The series itinerary will be announced in due course by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The Bangladesh-bound Pakistan team will undergo a six-day camp at Ghani Institute for Cricket in DHA, Lahore from October 14 before departing for Bangladesh via Dubai from Lahore in the wee hours. The players besides taking part in practice sessions will feature in different match scenarios and will also play a 50-over practice match in the camp.

Pakistan squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Ghulam Fatima, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar

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Non-travelling reserves – Amber Kainat, Omaima Sohail and Sidra Nawaz (wk)